People - October 2013

Eastern Virginia

Steven Anderson, named director, Norfolk Department of Economic Development. He was director of economic and community development, St. Mary’s County, Md. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Chris Davidson, named regional membership development manager, The Retail Alliance. He will lead the merchant advocacy group’s membership teams on the Peninsula and in South Hampton Roads. Davidson was the owner of Impact Advisory Group, Newport News. (Daily Press)

Cathie France joined Williams Mullen’s State Government Relations Practice. She will work from the firm’s Hampton Roads and Richmond offices. France was deputy director for energy policy in the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. (News release)

Patrick Tompkins joined Thomas Nelson Community College in Hampton as dean of communications, humanities and social sciences. Tompkins was an associate professor and English department chair at John Tyler Community College in Midlothian. (Daily Press)

Shenandoah Valley

John Bowers, elected to the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce board of directors. He is senior vice president for commercial lending and the Shenandoah Valley regional operations officer at First Bank and Trust. (News release)

Michael Koontz, a former Mount Jackson councilman, appointed the town’s interim mayor. He will finish out the final 11 months of the fourth term of Joe Williams, who died in July. (The Shenandoah Valley-Herald)

Brooke Rodgers, named executive director, CASA for Children, Lexington/Covington. Rodgers’ experience includes over 25 years of directing, administering, grant writing and marketing in the nonprofit sector. (News release)

Norman “Butch” C. Smiley III of Staunton, named to the board of trustees of the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia. Mary Baldwin College President Pamela Fox and William F. Sibert of Staunton, reappointed to the board. (News release)

Southern Virginia

BB&T promoted Greg Anderson to senior vice president and market president for the Danville area. Anderson previously served as a vice president and business services officer in Winston-Salem, N.C. (The News & Advance)

The following people were named to the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center board of trustees: W.W. “Ted” Bennett Jr. of Halifax, chair of the Halifax Education Foundation; Loretta B. Harris of Clarksville, retired; and David A. Willette of Chatham, data center manager for Hewlett-Packard. (News release)

Shannon Hair, named Outstanding Private Fundraising Professional for 2013 by the Council for Resource Development.Hair is the director of development at Danville Community College. (The News & Advance)

Southwest Virginia

Brian Bolton, named director of Cranwell International Center at Virginia Tech. Bolton comes to Virginia Tech from Longwood University, where he directed services for international students and scholars. (News release)

David Cox, professor of chemical engineering at Virginia Tech, selected as head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Tech. (News release)

Stephanie Cox has opened a new law office, Stephanie G. Cox P.L.C. in Blacksburg. (The Roanoke Times)

Michele C. Deramo, named director of diversity education and initiatives in the Office for Diversity and Inclusion at Virginia Tech. She will also oversee the school’s Diversity Development Institute. Deramo was hired by Virginia Tech in 1995 as director of service learning. (News release)

Downtown Roanoke Inc. named five members of its 2013-2014 board of directors: Beth Doughty of the Roanoke Regional Partnership; Tammy Finley of Advance Auto Parts; Mike Hamlar of Hamlar-Curtis Funeral Home; Keith Hummer of the Inn on Campbell and the Downtown Neighborhood Association; and Samantha Steidle of the Roanoke Business Lounge. (News release)

Bill Foy, named director of communications and innovative technologies for the Division of Student Affairs at Virginia Tech. Foy served as director of news, marketing and promotion at WSET-TV since 2007. (News release)

William H. Fralin Jr. stepped down from the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) board of commissioners in August. Fralin served as chairman of the board from Nov. 27, 2012, to July 31. He led the board through the determinative phase of a recent offer to privatize the cargo operations at the VPA terminals. He is president and CEO of Roanoke-based Medical Facilities of America. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Two executives joined Roanoke-based Lawrence Cos. Peer Segelke named vice president and general counsel. He was general counsel at DLB Inc. Joseph Cromer has been named vice president of sales and marketing. He led the sales growth of two local technology companies. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Kevin Utsey, partner with AECOM in Roanoke, was inducted into the American Institute of Architecture College of Fellows. (The Roanoke Times)

Northern Virginia

Sterling-based Neustar Inc. named Sujata Gosalia to its newly created position of senior vice president of marketing. Gosalia was a partner in the New York office of international consulting firm Oliver Wyman. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Herndon has named Dennis H. Holste Jr. to the newly created position of economic development manager. Holste comes to Herndon from Margate, Fla., where he was the assistant director in the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). (VirginiaBusiness.com)

James Horsman, named managing director at Lansdowne Resort, Leesburg. He was the managing director and vice president, operations, at the Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Linda P. Hudson, president and CEO of Arlington-based BAE Systems Inc., will retire from the company next year. To assist in the transition of a new CEO, the company said Hudson has agreed to stay on through the first quarter of 2014. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

William T. “Bill” Mundy has been promoted to senior vice president of McLean-based Cardinal Bank and executive managing director of Cardinal Wealth Services. Mundy joined Cardinal in 2010, as managing director of the Cardinal Wealth Services. (News release)

Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States named Mark Ruszczyk vice president of marketing, sales and business development. He will oversee growth strategies in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, suburban Maryland and Baltimore. Ruszczyk previously led the direct-to-consumer business for Wellpoint Inc. in 10 states. (News release)

Christian Roberts, named U.S. director of rail and transit asset management at Parsons Brinckerhoff, Herndon. Before joining the firm, Roberts established a similar practice in the UK with an international scope in the transport sector. (News release)

Robin Robertson joined McLean-based Cardinal Bank as senior vice president, assistant director of marketing. She was most recently with Virginia Commerce Bank where she served as senior vice president, marketing and retail administration. (News release)

Central Virginia

Hunter Bendall, named vice president of sales, a new position, at Virginia Business Publications LLC, the company that publishes Virginia Business. Bendall will have responsibility for the company’s advertising sales team, overseeing sales efforts in the company’s Richmond, Norfolk and Roanoke offices. He joined Virginia Business in 1986. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Mechanicsville-based Owens & Minor promoted James L. Bierman to president and chief operating officer. Bierman has served as executive vice president and chief operating officer since 2012. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Benjamin C. Bowman Jr., promoted to president, Worth Higgins & Associates Inc., Richmond. He was chief operating officer. The position of president previously was held by Richard A. LaReau. LaReau will continue as CEO. (News release)

Essex Bank, a subsidiary of Glen Allen-based Community Bankers Trust Corp., promoted William O’Connor to executive vice president. He was a senior vice president. (RichmondBizSense.com)

Gerald D. Starsia, named senior associate dean and chief operating officer at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. He was senior associate dean for administration at U.Va.’s McIntire School of Commerce, with responsibility as chief operating officer and chief financial officer. He also served as executive director of the McIntire School Foundation. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Terrie Suit, Virginia’s first secretary of Veteran’s Affairs and Homeland Security, has been named chief executive officer of the Virginia Association of REALTORS. Suit, a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, was succeeded by Deputy Secretary Jim Hopper. (News release)